Finally, a contender!
Another year, another Madden. It is that time of year where I delete last year’s entry and boot up the new one as I anticipate the start of the regular season. Sadly, for the past few years, it has felt mostly lethargic as the improvements have not felt substantial. Upon booting up Madden 27, things felt different right from the outset. The main menu continues to improve in responsiveness. I know it sounds ridiculous, but as much as I play the game, it quickly becomes more noticeable. That is just the beginning though, as Madden 27 is by far the biggest upgrade we have gotten in years.
Something I have talked about for years is that Madden has never managed to meet the presentation standards set by ESPN NFL 2K5. Think about that, a 21-year-old game. It feels like a true joke at this point, but there is a reason we still talk about that title. Madden NFL 27 is the closest it has ever been. We have weekly recaps, halftime shows, holiday-themed presentations, coordinators on the sidelines, and even stadium-specific intros. They went all out this year, and it goes a long way to make this year’s entry feel like the NFL.
MSRP: $69.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $69.99
While these are great, one area that doesn’t feel touched is once again the commentary. A few years back they added multiple teams, and the same ones return here. Unfortunately, they recycle a lot of the same lines. Hearing the same phrases over and over can be annoying. Also, the second commentator continues to be quiet most of the game. I forget Greg Olson is even there until he randomly repeats his same phrase for the 600th time. Scott Hansen has a LOT of new lines though and does the halftime show. So, at least there is that.
Franchise mode is where I spend the majority of my time, and this year’s game has a host of improvements. First up is the Persona engine. This is basically a meta game where the idea is to keep players happy on your team. For example, players will come to you when they are ready for a new contract, and the idea is to work on these to keep them on the roster. This also impacts their play on the field. It is a decent management sim, and for those that don’t want to deal with it, there is a delegate feature that tries to get things done.
There is also a training mode within the franchise where you can work with players on specific drills to improve their stats. This is cool because it is position dependent. Meaning, if they are a wide receiver, their mini-game drills are much different than say a free safety. Some of these are super fun, and a nice diversion between season games, others are downright infuriating at times. I did these during my first season but left it to auto for subsequent seasons. Still, it is a neat addition for those that like to manage all aspects of the team.
No Madden would be complete without a new game play mechanic, and 27 is no different. This year it is all about quarterback/wide receiver dynamics. There is a new catch meter, combined with the throwing meter makes it even more involved. It is the same idea with a gauge that goes back and forth and the idea is to hit it in the sweet spot. Throw types decide how fast it goes, so bullet passes require much more skill. It is a fun addition, and hitting the green almost always results in a catch, while missing it can end up in an interception.
Having come off hundreds of hours in Madden 26, getting into games was a shock to say the least. The on-field action this year is much more realistic than last year’s game. A lot of the money plays from the previous game simply does not work here. I had to read coverages regularly and knowing who is open and who is not, is a lot more involved. This game feels more authentic to the real game than Madden has felt in years. I threw a lot of interceptions early on until I got a feel for the game. Running lanes are more open though, so I had to play with some sliders to make it more realistic. It took me a while to get into the flow of the game, but if you watch football, this feels more in-line with what we watch on Sunday than previous years.
Ultimate Team also returns, but as anyone who knows me, I don’t bother much with this mode. It feels similar to last year’s version and doesn’t seem to focus as much on the microtransactions as NCAA did this year, at least until they patched it. Still, it can be a fun mode if you like that gambling aspect of getting better players, I just tend to not find much enjoyment from this mode, and this year’s is no different.
Visually, the game looks outstanding most of the time. The player faces are great and actually have more emotion at times. Seeing the coordinators on the sidelines is great, and the crowd continues to improve each year. I did run into some weird animations and glitches from time to time. There are also some weird choices when it comes to UI elements. Looking at the score box after a game sometimes has white text against a white background, which means you can’t see anything. I assume these will be fixed with patches. Audio is standard fare with the aforementioned disappointing commentators. Crowd noise continues to be overbearing at times.
Madden NFL 27 is by far the best upgrade we have had in years. The new presentation and franchise upgrades are fantastic. I love all the attention to detail, and the on-field game play is fantastic. I think a few patches will fix some of my issues, which means yet another year of hundreds of hours are in my future. If you have skipped any entry, now is the time to hop back in.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
